Love

LOVE

Music world slams Kanye West over awards outburst

to read the story click this link
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090914/en_afp/entertainmentusmusicawardswest_20090914171712

Well, we've all read the story today. Kanaye West walks out onto the stage as Taylor Swift begins her acceptance speech and slams her moment by suggesting that Beyonce had one of the best videos ever! Of course he apologized later, and suggestions that he had been drinking behind stage were given as the possible reasons for such obnoxious behavior. So why would I write about an event that reallly would just be better forgotten? Honestly I pondered this one for a moment, but it was just too close to the subject of my blog today. The first of the nine gifts of the Spirit is love. Watching the video of this spectacle leads me to this verse:

1But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 2 Timothy 3:1-3

I've read the remarks that many left about Kanaye's outburst, and they are basically uncomplimentary about his behavior. Everyone seems to be able to see the selfishness he exhibited. Certainly love was not present , nor was he thinking of Taylor's good.

Now I have something to confess, until today when reading the news I had never heard of Kanaye West, or Taylor Swift...I know I have dated myself beyond believability...but one thing I did recognize was the utter selfishness of this young man. Sometimes the best thing to see what something is is to look at what it is not. The book of Corinthians tells us what love is:

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

So I have a journal prompt, a push toward writing, This is your first sentence and you just start writing from here. Leave me a comment, and let me know if you heard from the Lord as you wrote.

How do I display love as described in I Cor. 13?

The Problem for Writers

But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, Galatians 5:22

Journaling has always been a passion of mine, but as of late I have had a difficult time journaling. Oh you know all of the excuses, I don't have anything to say, I don't have time, but basically they are not true reasons for not journaling...they are just handy excuses. So we will just start out by saying that I have been toying around with this idea of journaling from the nine fruits of the Spirit, and hope that this will get me started writing again. I think I heard directly from God that I need to do this, but for those of you who think it is weird, or strange to hear from God in this way suffice it to say that one day I had an idea about taking the nine fruits of the Spirit and creating a journaling blog which would get others started writing and talking to God with this umbrella guiding them. A framework you know, and it seemed like a good idea to me, and this is generally how I hear from God. An idea just sort of pops up out of the blue, not one I have had previously, it settles in and sort of always comes up at times when I am praying, or thinking about spiritual things, and there it is, an idea from God. Cool huh? Well I am now acting on this idea. And if you have been wanting to journal and you haven't known how to get started then I invite you to journal with me. I will post the prompt (the idea) for writing and you may follow along with me if you'd like. All of the prompts will be on the fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22. So go get a notebook, or one of those beautiful journals that are in all the stores, pick out one you really like, and start writing. I'll post my entry, and you write yours. I have been journaling on and off (mostly on) for a long time. I am an English teacher by profession, now retired, and I love the idea of writing thoughts, There is just something really therapeutic about it. I can't think of a better way to begin to talk to God. Comment and let me know what you hear from God when you write! Don't think YOU hear from God? Try it, I promise you you will begin to hear from Him.